One year ago, I got a call. It was the President of an architectural firm in San Francisco saying one of the samples I had sent to their office was causing a ripple. It seems the EVP was building a new house in Marin County, and the handscraped walnut floor was perfectly in line with his vision for his home. Would I please follow up with him?
Today, a year later, that new home is finished. Along the way, we also produced a dark walnut staircase of the architect's own design, to match the dark walnut floor. The owners have moved in, the project looks fantastic, and the owners are very vocal in their delight for their new home, and their new custom-made Plantation product.
This is no ordinary home. It was designed from the ground up to be LEED certified at the platinum level - the ultimate "green" accomplishment in residential building. We just submitted our finalized list of LEED-compliant credentials relating to the hardwood floors and stairs. The home is scheduled to be the subject of a Sunset Magazine photoshoot, with other publications in the wings.
We at Plantation had the great opportunity to work with some very nice and very talented people: Erin and Robin at Erin Martin Design of St. Helena; Mike MacDonald and Mike Dwyer of MacDonald Construction and Development of Oakland, the residential LEED kings!; and Bruce Brudvig of First, Last, and Always Flooring in San Francisco, a highly competent flooring contracting firm for the installation of our floor and stairs.
And of course the owners, Scott and Tracy Lee, are not only practicing professionals in the design field, but are delightful people as well.
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Another project is also completed: the custom-designed parquet floor for Paramount. I attended a closed set filming last week to see the floor in action. The commentary from all and sundry is that the floor is well received, beautiful, and, as solid wood, probably the only "real" item on the entire set! Everything else is styrofoam, or plastic, or some mystery material that the set constructors use. Very interesting.And of course, very entertaining. All the players were in action: the actors that everyone recognizes, the director, the cinematographer, all the assistants. I'd guess fifty people were on this large set, applying makeup, running back and forth, and, many of them, just waiting around for the next thing to happen. And the equipment! From huge cameras, to major lighting contraptions, to gizmos that I haven't a clue the use for.
When I arrived in my car, the parking lot was almost full. Mercedes and Jaguars everywhere - at the curb, in the stalls, double-parked. The parking attendant told me two shows were filming simultaneously: "Dinner with Schmucks" (my movie), and the TV series Glee.
Being inside the gates "on business" at a movie studio such as Paramount is an experience I, and most people, don't have an opportunity to do often, if ever. The surroundings are as one would imagine, right down to the guy walking around with the Viking helmet. The cooks were cooking a cafeteria-style meal in the rain, the golf carts were whizzing by, the wardrobe people were seeking shelter for the racks of clothes. The little "streets" between the huge sound studios are narrow, and filled with stars' trailers and equipment trucks. There is seemingly constant motion on all sides.
But the real action, of course, is inside the sound stages. One can't get in there without an escort, although once in, I was welcomed to stay as long as I wanted. There was plenty to see for the uninitiated like me, but everyone else was just working another workday. Too bad I was limited for time, or I would have stayed all day.
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I was a long way from Hollywood the week before. I was happy to get a chance to pay a year-end visit with the hidden power behind our company, then spend two days presenting the products and services of Plantation to some serious hitters in the hospitality design business in Dallas. I was surprised that so much is going on in Dallas in the global hotel and restaurant arena. Most design firms I've visited in recent months resemble ghost towns, at least compared to their formal glories. Not these people. They're on the move, and pressed for time. They've got projects down the street and around the world. All very energizing, and hopeful for the survival of this genre worldwide.
I had with me my usual complement of high-end wood flooring and parquet samples. All the designers were polite to me, and admired my goods. But when I got to our specialty floors, the copyrighted ones, the designers were gasping, and calling in their colleagues. I haven't had so much fun in quite a while. The planned thirty minute meetings became unplanned ninety minute meetings. If the comments are accurate, we'll be in big business in places I didn't even know about before now. Invigorating.
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My son Michael is a graphic- and web designer, and commented to me recently that he was making some web designs without having a commission for them, because he thinks some people don't know what they want until they see it.
This idea of people not knowing is not new, but still it's very perceptive. How many times have we asked for an idea from a client - the "what are you looking for?" question. Often, there's no good answer, or it's the "I'll know it when I see it" answer.
In this spirit, we recently made a new parquet panel design in black walnut and red leather, just because we could. Somebody said, "That looks like the Wynn in Las Vegas." So I called our rep in Las Vegas, and sent the email photo. She thinks it will sell, so now we're pitching Wynn for their next remodel. A tip of the hat to son Michael for reminding the old man about some of the truisms of dealing in creative but abstract ideas with people.
I've told everyone who will listen that Plantation isn't just about making and selling flooring. Plantation is about being the "go-to" company for collaborating on great flooring ideas. We like to dream up new things, and we have the factory that can make those new ideas become real. What a concept! I want for Plantation to be that company that every creative designer wants to call when they're dreaming up something new. They will find fertile ground here.
